This invention relates to a video camera which stores moving images into a storage medium, image processing apparatus and image control apparatus.
Recently, along with the development of image processing technologies and the diffusion of video cameras, automation of various adjustment mechanisms for the video cameras has progressed. Actually, video cameras having automated mechanisms such as white-balance adjustment, exposure adjustment and auto-focus function are manufactured. However, in zoom adjustment, i.e., control of the subject image size within an image-sensing screen, an operator's intention should be the first priority, therefore, a video camera capable of automatic zoom adjustment has not appeared on the market.
Considering a case where a video camera is most likely used for taking portraits, e.g., a presentation or a teleconference, as one of the purposes of video cameras, the image-sensing screen usually displays the upper part of a body (bust shot). In such case, it is preferable that a subject image displayed on the image-sensing screen always has approximately the same size. For this reason, a video camera that automatically performs zoom adjustment upon image sensing the upper part of a body is desired.
Also, a video camera that has a pan head with automatic homing function so as to locate the upper parts of the bodies to approximately the same position, e.g., the center of the image-sensing screen is desired. However, to provide these video cameras, problems such as complexity in recognition of a subject person, low recognition efficiency and costs must be solved.